Community educators help fill the need

Dr. Paul Camnitz is among four physicians and physician practices recognized for excellence in education by the Brody School of Medicine. Photo by Cliff Hollis

GREENVILLE, N.C.
(Apr. 2, 2003)
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In the second class of Master Educators, recognized by the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University this year for their dedication to students and educational leadership, are two community physicians and three family medicine practices.

This is the first year that community physicians were recognized along with medical school faculty members.

"Including community physicians in our master educator program is an indication of the importance we place on their involvement with the medical school," said Dr. Peter Kragel, interim dean of the medical school.

This year's Master Educators from the Brody School of Medicine were profiled in the February issue of People. This academic year's recipients of the Master Educator designation were selected by the executive committee and executive curriculum committee.

The community physicians and practices recognized are Dr. Paul Camnitz of Eastern Carolina ENT-Head & Neck Surgery; Dr. Marianna Daly of Marshburn Medical Center in Marshall; Smithfield Family Medicine in Smithfield; HealthEast Family Care in Hatteras; and Lenoir Family Medicine in Kinston.

"Community physicians play a valuable role in educating our medical students," Kragel said. "One of the strengths of our school is the students' experiences in the community setting, which I believe contributes significantly to our success in placing students in practices in North Carolina and the eastern region. I am pleased that we are able to recognize and thank some of our outstanding community physician educators through the master educator program."

Dr. Paul Camnitz has been working with ECU medical students since 1980 and has been recognized with the Community Physician Teaching Award 10 times by medical students.

An otolaryngologist in practice with Eastern Carolina ENT-Head & Neck Surgery in Greenville since 1979, Camnitz is a clinical professor at the medical school and head of the otolaryngology division in the ECU Department of Surgery. He also works with medical residents.

Camnitz is known for expertise in his field and his sharp wit. He believes doctors have a responsibility to work with medical students.

"I think it's important for physicians to give back to the system that trained them," he said. "You can do research, give financial support and teach. One of the ways, I chose to do it is teaching. For me teaching isn't work because I enjoy doing it and it keeps me young and keeps me learning."

In addition to precepting ECU medical students, Camnitz returns to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his undergraduate and medical degrees, to give lectures each year.

Camnitz' partners at Eastern Carolina ENT also work with ECU medical students. "We used to have them all come through here," he said. Now about one-half to two-thirds of the third-year students do a rotation in their practice, all the family medicine residents come during their third year for a month, all the surgery residents come for three months during their fifth year, and all the dental residents do a rotation along with some pediatric residents.

A former chief of the medical staff at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Camnitz currently is a PCMH board member and is on the dean-search committee at the medical school.

Dr. Marianna Daly has earned not only this year’s Master Educator Community Physician recognition, but also the medical school’s community teaching award from the N.C. Academy of Family Physicians.

Each medical school in the state selects one family physician for the NCAFP award, which recognizes his or her dedication and willingness to teach medical students.

Daly lives and works in Marshall, a Madison County town near the Tennessee border, and works with six or seven medical students for a one-month rotation and several first- and second-year students fo

Dr. Seaborn Blair Jr., shown with office assistant JoAnne Hale, hosts medical students at his practice in Hatteras - one of the students’ favorite rotations. Photo by Cliff Hollis